"Where Would You Like Your Statue, Mr. Emery?" Aston Villa End 30-Year Trophy Wait as Unai Emery Claims Record Fifth Europa League Crown

20 May 2026 | Istanbul, Turkey — Updated 22:45 GMT

ISTANBUL – Where would you like your statue, Mr. Emery? Even before this emphatic Europa League triumph, Aston Villa supporters could hardly have held their manager in greater esteem. But now Unai Emery, in winning the competition for a record fifth time, has delivered the thing he always wanted — a trophy to show for his transformative body of work.

Those who were not around for Rotterdam in 1982 will forever cherish Istanbul in 2026. Thomas Tuchel had it right a few years ago when he suggested UEFA might as well rename the Europa League the Unai Emery Trophy.

A Night to Remember: Villa's Brummie Takeover of Istanbul

Was there a better image on an unforgettable night than the sight of Emiliano Martínez giving his manager a piggyback as Villa got the celebrations under way? Villa's squad formed a guard of honour for Freiburg — game but ultimately overpowered opponents — and then set about giving Emery the bumps as he walked onto the podium erected on the pitch.

John McGinn, Villa's superb captain, was the last to collect his medal from UEFA's president, Aleksander Ceferin, before lifting the handleless trophy. Before long McGinn was darting towards the sea of delirious Villa fans crooning to "We Are the Champions," showcasing the prize in all its glory, the engraving still raw.

Villa's official allocation was 10,758 but about double that figure travelled. There was a Brummie takeover of Taksim Square, the supporters determined to savour a first continental final for 44 years.

The Goals: Tielemans, Buendía and Rogers Steal the Show

Just like 1982, it was Villa in white against German opponents in red. This time Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers were the scorers. All three goals were sparkling — Tielemans and Buendía scoring beauties to put Villa in the box seat within seven minutes of each other at the end of the first half, before Rogers got in on the act approaching the hour.

Tielemans gave Villa a leg up on 41 minutes with a pure volley from Rogers's expertly weighted cross from a short-corner routine. The ball seemed to drop in slow motion but Tielemans read it all the way, smashing it home with his laces.

Then Buendía controlled McGinn's pass on the edge of the box with his right foot and, with his next touch, sent a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner. It was the final kick of the half and it felt like the goal that killed their opponents.

Villa extended their lead approaching the hour. Lucas Digne released Buendía down the left and the midfielder faced up Lukas Kübler then sent a teasing cross towards the front post. Rogers expertly traded places with Ollie Watkins to squeeze the ball in. It felt like a procession once Buendía curled a left-foot peach into the top corner and, as a contest, it was a non-event from the moment Rogers's smart movement was rewarded.

Unai Emery (right) celebrates with the Europa League trophy after winning the competition for a record fifth time.

Martínez the Hero: Broken Finger and All

There was a moment of concern before kick-off. Martínez required treatment in the warm-up, with goalkeeper coach Javi García taping his hand. The keeper later revealed that he had broken his finger.

"Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good. I've done this my whole life and I'll keep doing it," the Argentinian said after the match.

"Should I be worried? Well, I've never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I'm proud to defend Aston Villa."

Any concerns that he would be unable to play were short-lived. Martínez charged out before kick-off, fist-pumping with his right hand towards the Villa fans behind the goal. Any wider nerves had evaporated by the interval.

Royal Approval: Prince William Captures the Moment

Up in the VIP seats, the Prince of Wales — an avid Villa supporter who admits to perusing Villa forums under a pseudonym — wanted to capture the moment just like everybody else, filming the trophy lift on his iPhone.

"Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club," William posted on social media.

The Prince's presence added a touch of royalty to an already historic occasion, and his genuine fandom — he has been a regular at Villa Park for years — made the moment even more special for supporters.

Youri Tielemans volleys Aston Villa in front towards the end of the first half against Freiburg.

'We Are Not Going to Stop': Emery Sets Sights on Champions League

For Aston Villa, the Europa League must only be the beginning, Unai Emery insisted after winning the trophy for a fifth time. Beating Freiburg brought Villa's first major silverware since the League Cup in 1996, but Emery is determined this should not be the summit of their achievements.

"Next year we will play in the Champions League and this is the challenge," the Aston Villa manager said. "The best teams in the world are there and it will challenge us a lot. The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world. To be fighting top seven, top five, top four is something very difficult. Hopefully we can be close with teams like City and Arsenal."

Winning the Europa League is part of the process. "Play for Europe, play for trophies," Emery said, explaining the stages of fulfilling the dream he outlined in his introductory press conference as Villa manager.

"This is the first one and we are achieving it. The experiences we are having are very important in how we can get better. Trophies make sense of what we are doing. We are not going to stop."

The Set-Piece Master: Austin MacPhee's Genius

A key part of that process has been set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, as exemplified by the move that led to Tielemans finding space to put Villa ahead with a ferocious volley.

Captain John McGinn said: "I'm biased, but we have a great set-piece coach in Austin MacPhee. We tried to deceive a bit with the set piece. We did it against Liverpool at the weekend. Youri has great quality to find the goal. It'd have been over the bar if it were me!"

Emery called MacPhee "a really fantastic creator. We must be so, so demanding in our details. Austin is fantastic. Everything we are working on makes sense. The hours in each training session each day to try to get as best as possible our challenges in set pieces. When we are scoring like that, of course we are proud of what we're doing."

Freiburg's Heartbreak: A Historic Run Ends

For Freiburg, this comfortably represented the biggest occasion in their 121-year history. The German side arrived in Istanbul without a single trophy in their cabinet but having already secured a historic Bundesliga top-four finish.

They were always planning to celebrate a groundbreaking season on their return to south-west Germany, and their players left the pitch with heads held high despite the heavy defeat. The guard of honour Villa's players formed for them at full-time was a classy touch, acknowledging a club that had overachieved magnificently just to reach the final.

For a generation of Villa supporters who arrived in Turkey desperate to see their team lift their first silverware since 1996, the wait is over. The party is just getting started.

Stay updated with the latest world sports headlines on our World Sports Page.